Lie To Me Review

Release Date: Jan 28, 1997Label: A&MGenres: Modern Electric Blues, Blues-Rock, Contemporary BluesNumber Of Tracks: 12
Lang does boast an impressive array of licks and instrumental technique, but he needs something more to make Lie to Me a substantive record.

Lie To Me
Reviewed by:
sthall, on november 14, 2007 0 of 0 people found this review helpful

Sound: Lie to Me is Jonny Lang's debut solo album, released in 1997. Lie To Me reached multi-platinum status and has since won over leagues of followers. The sound is crisp and well engineered, with a smooth flow between tracks. Often considered a blues prodigy, Jonny fills his music with emotion and soul. Many of the tracks include guitar work that is not only technically difficult, but also artistic in nature. The album flows from gritty blues to a upbeat shuffles, leaving the listener to wonder what he could possibly do next. // 9

Lyrics: The lyrics in Lie to Me contain levels of emotion and sincerity seen only in the great blues artists. Although Lang didn't write the lyrics to many of his early songs, he still sings them as though he's suffered the worst of trials and heartbreak. It truly is amazing to hear such a young artist offer such an honest, heartfelt interpretation of blues music. Even at a young age, his voice is harsh and raspy, one of the keys to be a successful blues artist. // 8

Overall Impression: Jonny Lang's music often sits in a class of its own. Where artists such as Kenny Wayne Shepherd and Stevie Ray Vaughan are known for lighting fire to the fretboard with their fingers, Jonny Lang asks you to take a step back and listen to the music as a whole. His music is arranged such that it all works in unison, and nothing stands out by itself. It does, of course, have a few excellent guitar solos, but that is not the focus of his work; instead, Jonny asks you to close your eyes and not only listen to his music, but feel it. // 9

Lie To Me
Reviewed by:
rad82, on april 19, 2008 0 of 0 people found this review helpful

Sound: Every song on this album is outstanding. Great contemporary blues. And one really important thing Jonny Lang does is he actually makes his music really diverse which is a real jem when so many blues artists just stick to the 12 bar thing, which after the first 5, 10, or 37 songs can get old. This album is chalk full of great guitar solos. He is able to get the point of the song accross just by playing his guitar, as in I can actually relate to what he is feeling by his mad lickz especially on 'Darker Side.' Not many guitarists can do that and I give him much respect for that. // 10

Lyrics: This album has some great lyrics ranging from social commentaries to stories of wanderers and childhood love. How well the lyrics match perfectly with the music absolutely dumbfounds me. Some of the greatest lyrics falling in with music of all time. He is a pretty good singer too, with a destinct voice. // 10

Overall Impression: I would say that Jonny Lang is definatly my favorite blues artists, and one of if not my all time favorite blues guitarists. His new album has nothing on this. For a long time I thought this might just be because I was exposed to by my parents, who listened to this album and "Wander This World" all throughout my childhood. So the centimental feelings that I knew so well from when I was once a young lad might have swayed my thinking. But now that I understand music better and consume more of it I am begining to realize that this is just a classic album. And to think that he made this when he was my age. I dare you to find an album like this. // 10